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During the pandemic, remote work became popular. Though some companies still allow employees to work remotely, many require them to return to the office. Employees are pushing back against that request.
Even if you’re called back to the office for part of the week, you can make money from home and, in most cases, do so for free. You don’t need technical skills, a big budget, or lengthy training to get started. However, many dead ends and scams are out there, and finding the right opportunities can be tricky.
That’s why we’ve put together this list of Clever Ways to Make Money, helping you discover legitimate and creative ways to earn extra cash from home.
We’ve done the hard work for you, eliminated the deadwood, and created a list of 18 great ways to make money from home. I’ve used most of these methods and have had success with them. My friends have reported success with the few methods I haven’t tried here.
I’ve included links to other great articles to offer further options to consider.
1. Create and Sell Sales Funnels
A well-crafted sales funnel can generate additional income for businesses. There’s a learning curve, but you don’t need in-depth technical skills. Some freelancers charge thousands of dollars for sales funnels; businesses need these services.
From simple landing pages to automated sales funnels with order bumps and upsells, sales funnels are an in-demand service that can become a lucrative income source.
2. Become a Virtual Assistant
A virtual assistant (VA) can work remotely, helping clients with multiple aspects of business administration. A VA may also organize travel plans, manage appointments and emails, organize vendors, and more.
It’s a well-paid, in-demand service for those with good organizational skills. You can specialize in an industry or business type, such as coaches, entrepreneurs, or social media influencers.
3. Start a Bookkeeping Service
Using a bookkeeping service can be less expensive than hiring an accountant, so many small business owners prefer working with a one.
If you have good attention to detail and understand tax law, this is an excellent opportunity to earn extra income. You can work with Excel spreadsheets or specific tax software like Sage. Your customers may have a preference, so familiarity with different software types is helpful.
4. Teach an Online Course
Launching an online course is an excellent way to create passive income, especially if you have a high-demand skill. It takes time to build an online course, but once you launch it, you can sell it forever.
Choosing the right platform is tricky. Many choices exist, such as Udemy, ThriveCart, Skool, Kajabi, and more. Hosting prices vary, so be sure to do your research before launching. Overpaying for the service or getting a bad service can eat into your profits. Choose wisely.
5. Become a User-Generated Content Creator (Ugc)
User-generated content creators (UGC) produce original images, videos, product reviews, or other forms of media. Companies pay creators with a strong social media following to promote their products.
For example, a skincare company might send you a moisturizer. The video would probably include you opening the package, commenting on it, then putting the moisturizer on your face while talking about how it feels, the scent, etc.
6. Sell Website Templates
If you have the skills to create website templates, this can become a highly lucrative way to maximize your creativity. For example, SquareSpace website templates sell for hundreds of dollars on the Etsy marketplace.
When the model works correctly, you can repeatedly sell the same template. Additionally, users can edit it to their liking.
7. Start a Blog
If you have experience in a high-demand niche such as wealth, relationships, or health, starting a blog can be a way to channel your creativity into monetizing your skills.
Commit to a consistent posting schedule and write posts that offer readers genuine value. Add a newsletter subscriber option and start building your list. Add relevant affiliate products or services; your blog will eventually generate income.
8. Flip Websites
Website flipping is an income generator if you have web design skills. Visit websites like Flippa and look for low-cost websites you think you can improve. Perhaps the SEO, site design, or navigation is poor. If so, you can overhaul the site and flip (sell) it for a profit.
Compare hosting costs and create a package that enables hosting for multiple websites for one fee. That will save on start-up costs.
9. Become a Voiceover Artist
Do you have a voice that melts butter? If so, consider becoming a voiceover artist. You’ll need a soundproof home studio, a good microphone, and editing software, but other than that, it’s easy to get started.
Record a few sample tapes and attend networking events to promote your services. You can contact them directly if your voice style suits an organization’s brand.
10. Start a Print on Demand (Pod) Business
You can start a print-on-demand (POD) business for free with online marketplaces like Redbubble, Teepublic, and Amazon Merch On Demand.
Create T-shirt designs, wall art, stickers, and more with artificial intelligence (AI) image creation platforms like Leonardo or Midjourney (Always check the commercial rights before publishing).
11. Create and Sell Social Media Posts
Creating social media content is time-consuming, and many business owners find it tedious, especially if they don’t have creative skills. Create social media posts with a graphic design platform like Canva. For example, 50 Instagram reels can be made and sold as a Canva template on marketplaces like Etsy.
Always use free images. You can import images from stock photo platforms like Pixabay or Pexels or use your own pictures.
12. Become a Social Media Manager
Managing social media accounts for small businesses can be fun and lucrative, and you can work with multiple clients. Decide which industry you’d like to work in and which social media platforms you have experience with.
For instance, you could specialize as a Pinterest social media manager, helping clients drive traffic to their business from daily pinning and analytics.
13. Become a Freelance Proofreader
If you like to read, working as a freelance proofreader is a great option, especially if you have an eye for catching spelling and grammatical errors. Another great thing about this job is it allows you to work remotely and be your own boss.
You could proofread a whitepaper one day and a steamy novel the next. Finding work may be easier if you take a proofreading course to provide credibility to potential clients.
14. Buy and Sell Domain Names
Buying and selling domain names is a fun way to make an income. If you are a creative thinker, start jotting down potential domain names. Building a domain portfolio with timely, generic, geographic, or business names may take time, but if you enjoy researching and selling, this creative venture could be the one for you.
Sedo is a specialist site that buys and sells domain names, but if you have a GoDaddy account, they have a domain auction site.
15. Start an Affiliate Marketing Business
Affiliate marketing is a fantastic money-making model if you have a website with regular traffic or social media accounts with thousands of followers. Even if you have none of those, learn how to drive traffic to your offers with social media marketing, and you can make a healthy income from affiliate marketing.
We recommend promoting only products you use and those you would be happy with your granny buying. This will help build trust with your audience and generate repeat sales.
16. Restore Used Items to Resell
Grab bargains from flea markets or charity shops and restore them. You can choose items like furniture or bric-a-brac. For example, you might find a beautiful piece of art in a damaged frame. Find a quality picture frame, reframe the art, and sell it for a profit.
Restoring used items is a creative pastime that can generate income if you master making something look better than it was.
17. Sell Your Crafts Online
Are you a master woodworker or a brilliant artist? If so, you can harness your skills and sell your crafts online at specialist craft marketplaces like Etsy. You can have multiple shops, so developing a niche product range is easier.
Learn to take clear photographs of your crafts and create mock-ups on Canva to showcase your products. Customers can leave reviews, so always take care of them after the sale if they have a query.
18. Sell Photographs Online
If you have the knack for taking magical photographs, why not make money with your creative skills? Many media sites pay for high-quality images of scenery, beaches, animals, pets, and portraits.
Stock image sites like Shutterstock, Getty Images, iStock Photo, and Stocksy are popular platforms for budding photographers. They also pay for high-quality short video content.
